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You don’t have to be a big name pro angler or head of a national organization to make your voice heard. Litter affects the entire fishing community. Be inspired by anglers across the country who are helping to keep our waterways clean. Read our stories below.

A Tip

By Tim Z.

I use torn soft plastics to safely cover treble hooks, so they don’t stick in carpet or my skin!

Recycling Plastics

By Evan H.

I have been advocating my friends and family to not just discard their worn, used plastics into the bodies of water they fish or into the parking lots when cleaning their boat after a day on the water. I take pride in collecting plastics from friends or even picking up plastics on the ramps and parking lots they use for boat launch. I use these very same baits to make my own soft plastics. Melting them down and shooting my own baits. Not only is it a fun hobby, but it gives me a sense of accomplishment knowing I have helped my fishing community and caught fish again on plastics that would otherwise be in landfills or in the bodies of water I respect so greatly. I believe this pledge is a wonderful cause and is not to be taken lightly. Thank you for your work in promoting the proper disposal of plastics.

Tampa Bay Junior Bass Club

By Don G.

The Tampa Bay Junior Bass Club started a Conservation Angler of the year award in 2016 for its youth anglers 11-18 years old. During our club tournament season trail and our fund raising tournaments the anglers collect trash from the boat ramp areas, the lake and the trash they generate during the tournament, such as their used baits, line, water bottles, plastic wrappers and bags. The trash is placed in bags donated by Daiwa and weighed as the team weighs in their fish. The team with the most trash collected is the Conservation Angler of that tournament and is awarded gift cards to Bass Pro Shop. The teams weight is divided in half and each angler carries that weight with them to the end of the season for each tournament. The two anglers with the most total weight at the end of the season becomes the Conservation Anglers of the Year. The each receive a new 13 Fishing green Fate rod, a trophy, Bass Pro gift card and a new Green club jersey. Our youth anglers also participate in local beach and shore line clean-ups. We are very proud of our youth anglers as they become stewards of the bodies of water they love to fish.They have collected over 1200 pounds of trash from our water ways to date. We know our program works when we here stories from parents that tell us about their angler picking up trash from the shore line while on vacation. If you would like more information about our program you can email me at dmgarand@verizon.net

Program Director

By Don G.

I appreciate your efforts to keeping the rivers and banks of our tributaries clean as I am the director of a similar program as follows.

I am the main volunteer and director of Adopt My Playground Program in Oregon city Oregon. You can get more information at www.adoptmyplayground.com . You can find more information about how we sanitize baby play structures and clean up playgrounds not cared for by the local city Parks and Recreation Departments.

Of course as a bass fisherman and president of Cascade Bass Masters (www.cascadebassmasters.com) our members also help clean up any trash and leftover Lures from the local rivers and streams.

Thanks again for all you do and looking forward to continuing my commitment in a clean America and a clean and safe place for all of us to play.

Thank You.

Clean Waters

By Candace H.

BEFORE fishing an area we police the area. Always have garbage bags in the tackle tote.
When FINISHED we again police the area.
Have seen other fishermen watch us and begin cleaning up around themselves.
Hooray–D

Reuse and Then Repurpose Your Soft Plastics

By Jim S.

I am now a bank angler after years of being a boater. I carry a ziplock bag in my pocket and I put all of my used plastics in it when i change them out. When I get home I look them over. Sometimes you can use just a piece of a used plastic for something else. Use the back end of a torn up Senko on a ned rig for instance. The other thing you can do is give the plastic to a friend or local shop that pours their own baits so they can reuse it to make something new. :–D

Make some new lures

By Randy M.

I’ve caught more that a few bass on some of the creatures I’ve made from old plastic stuff. A candle will melt the two pieces which you can “weld” together. I’ve made some creations I didn’t think would work, but sure enough some farsighted fish would grab it.

Bass fishing

By Luke M.

I like keep the water clean because I like to fish in clean water

Owner

By Rob A.

Armadillo Outfitters is a retail Sporting Goods and Custom Apparel store in Sayre, Oklahoma. Owned and Operated by Rob and Connie Armstrong. We are developing two major annual events here in Western Oklahoma and this program is a great launching point to get local anglers involved. We have started a “Pitch It” program at our store in Western Oklahoma. When our customers “Pitch” their used plastics in our donation bucket we will recycle them. We are sorting the plastic by color and melting it back down for Lizard and Worm molds. The recycled lures are then given to local children to use when they take the pledge to recycle. We truly feel that this program is teaching the children a valuable lesson and they can see results when they recycle their soft baits. Sign the Pledge. Donate. Contribute. Keep America Fishing. Armadillo Outfitters 1608 Watts St, Sayre, OK 73662 Call 580-928-0067

Lures in Trees

By Michael F.

Always, always, always make sure you either cut your line as close as possible to the lure or take the time to retrieve lures that have been caught in trees. I have seen too many birds and other animals that dwell near the water with line tangled around them. This amazing Osprey got it bad, line wrapped around it’s wing. Unfortunately I was probably only hours too late. I checked for life and it was certainly deceased. I personally do not understand why anyone would knowingly create such a hazard.

Trash Containers

By Michael T.

THERE SHOULD BE A TRASH CONTAINER AT PLACES LIKE CORSONS INLET .I KNOW THERE ARE BAGS THERE BUT SOME PEOPLE JUST DONT GET IT AND LEAVE THERE TRASH ON THE BEACH ,IT IS WRONG. BUT MAYBE JUST MAYBE A TRASH CONTAINER WOULD HELP ,GIVE IT A TRY YOU NEVER KNOW. THANK YOU VERY MUCH

Trash

By Chris L.

Seems like this year I’ve been seeing a lot of trash (bait containers,water,soda and beer bottles fishing line etc.) lying around. I’m not perfect but i always make sure i don’t leave anything lay when i leave. A lot of areas i fish doesn’t have very many trash containers. I know that some people are just lazy and don’t care and will leave trash anyways, but also think there should be more containers around. It is very easy to always take a grocery bag with you for your waste to keep our public fishing areas CLEAN!!

We recycle soft plastics!

By Sam Z.

If you have a need to get rid of those used soft plastic baits feel free to look up Big Country Fishing! We are a group of guys that loves to re pour plastics, we are in our early stages yet but are always in need of more plastics. feel free to message us on facebook or email us with any further questions.

Recycle not only plastic baits

By Paul K.

From a conservation standpoint there is a greater problem than soft plastic baits in the watershed, but attacking one problem at a time works. Fisherman really need to pick up used mono-filament line and discard it appropriately. While observing the Salmon run two hundred yards downstream from the Nimbus Salmon Hatchery on the American River in California (which is operated by California Fish & Wildlife) I watched the Salmon gill net themselves continuously from used monofilament line that had imbedded itself in the rocks they were spawning in. I freed several and vowed to return the next day. I removed 10 large plastic garbage bags stuffed to the brim with miles of used mono. I’m not looking for a pat on the back but would encourage fellow fisherman to take the time to containerize the mono and pitch-it appropriately. Thanks for all you’ve done for fisherman to date.

Clean up after yourself and other’s

By Richard M.

I always clean up my fishing spot or spots before I start fishing and make sure I don’t leave anything behind so when I leave the spot it’s cleaner than when I got there. I always teach my kids and their friends to do the same. I have seen it work for myself. When I show up to fishing spots, they are a bit cleaner. And when I see my kids and their friends fishing, they are telling their friends to clean up after themselves and whoever left trash behind I see my spots are cleaner the next time I go fishing. It works, you just have too make sure you teach your’s and who ever else you fish with to do the same tell and teach as many people as you can. The waterways and the areas around the waters will start to get cleaner.

Wait to throw it!

By Matthew O.

There are plenty of places to dump plastics other than in lakes and the easiest thing to do is keep a small bag for plastics.

State Law

By Chandler G.

My name is Chandler. I have recently joined my school’s Youth Legislator. As we were trying to figure something to make a law about I was fiddling with my tackle and I thought about my Mystery Tackle Box. In one of the Dibble Digest it talks about this Pledge. I then thought about how we could make it easy for people who fish to throw away their soft plastics. We thought about having a program where you not only keep the plastics out of the water but the state government can make money by doing the recycling program. We can do this by having the government sell the used plastics to soft plastics companies. The company the melts the plastics down so in theory it should save the companies money making them want to buy used soft plastics.

Coffee Cans

By Cody

Keeping an old coffee can with an X cut in the lid is an excellent way to keep litter that you find in a convenient place until you can dispose of it properly. I always keep one on my kayak when I’m out fishing.

Helping the kids

By Mark N.

I and other members of my club, Cen-Tex Basshunters save and give our used plastics to a young man in our youth division who melts and re-pour’s them for himself and others in our kids club.

Keep line and plastics easily in your tackle box

By Jeremy M.

Carry a mini Gatorade or old aspirin bottle in your gear just for this purpose. When its full, recycle it and its contents. Most of us work over our tackle box any ways.

Recycling

By Thomas M.

In our community, each resident is issued a Recycle-Bin collected weekly by the city. In these bin’s all recyclable material’s are accepted, Including but not only old fishing lures with hooks removed, all rubber-plastic-wood-cork materials related to fishing, even poles that have outlived their use. This is a very resourceful tool in helping angler’s in the Pensacola area, as well as an incentive to recycle. And for those in our group outside the Pensacola area, they give their old and worn out lures, plastic bottles and other things for recycling to us in the group with bin’s, We all like to do our part in keeping America clean and beautiful.

Fisherman

By Randy C.

I am a member of a small bass club the guys in the club save the old plastic for me. I melt them down and remold them so they get reused.

I gave the boaters in the club a plastic coffee container cut a hole in the top so when they pick up there boat they put them in it for me

I hope this helps

A tip on catch and releases

By Thomas M.

I’m sure many angler’s are aware of this, But I thought it would be worth posting for those who do not. While fishing, if you have a pair of pliers, Grasp the Barb of the hook with pliers and twist, Thus Snapping, or Flattening the Barb of the Hook. This makes the Catch & Release process easier, with Hook-Removal doing very little if any damage to the mouth of your catch, And the fish also suffers less trauma. Just a tip I thought was worth sharing! Happy Reeling, Thomas M. Pensacola Fl.

Sho-Me Fishing Lure Innovations

By Tim R.

We at Sho-Me pledge to encourage all Fisherman to throw their soft plastics in the trash or use them for recycling. We at Sho-Me Fishing are holding our first Youth Clinic with the City of Centralia Mo. As you would suspect, we are coaching our youth to respect the sport and to leave the area they fished in better than they found it.

A million and 1 different uses

By Malcolm G.

I’ve always kept all my used plastics and fishing line in a few old empty Maxwell coffee cans. The main reason is that there’s literally 1,000,001 scenarios that arise throughout any given day that they’ll come in handy. That’s unless you’re askingmy wife and she’d tell you that I’m a hoarder of anything that has to do with fishing.

Pick it up.

By Robert M.

Not only should you properly depose of worn out plastic, you should also pick up line that is left on the bank at accesses and on the banks of streams and lakes.

Angler

By Scott W.

Not really a story. But my sons and I pick up all trash we see on the lake while we are fishing – baits and all. Can’t stand litter on the street or on the water. Litter is Litter. Keep America Clean.

Reuse

By Collin

Melting down your old soft plastics into new ones is a great way to save then from ending up in our waterways. Although they may not be the best for tournament action like the store bought ones, for fun fishing they a more than good enough. Let’s all do our part.

Used Plastics

By Adam W.

If I’m wearing cargo pants, I designate a cargo pocket, usually my left, to hold my worn out plastics, then when I get home I throw them in my garbage. I don’t know of any recycling programs in my town yet.

Outdoorsman

By Don C.

Make it a habit – put that chewed up lure in the trash so OUR waters have fish like this smallmouth (Lake Pardee, CA) for us, our kids & friends.

Trash busters

By Steve B.

Not only do I keep a trash bag next to the throttle in my boat for lunch and beverage trash, all occupants in my boat throw away our fishing line clippings and spent soft baits. We never trash our waterways.

Pick it up

By Ken H.

When you’re fishing, if you see any plastic baits floating in the water pick them up.

The Past

By Mike

I can remember when I was just a little kid, pretty much when plastic baits were coming out, I always had to clean all the baits out of the bottom of the boat. They were small though because my dad liked to fish with the most chewed up plastic worms. So use less worms and it’s not to difficult to just throw them in the boat not the water.

Trash

By Stu S.

What a wonderful idea to take along extra garbage bags to collect a few things in order to leave a place better than when you arrived there. A lake is not a landfill, so dispose of plastic worms back home or at a designated trash barrel. Fishers can have a real impact on cleaning up lakes, rivers & shorelines. When I was young, you kept the fish you caught. The idea of catch & release was foreign and not taken seriously. But it came to pass. In the same way, cleaning up our fishing sites can also trend into an accepted practice.

Reuse used and torn plastic baits

By Mike A.

When I have a empty plastic bait container, I use it to store my used and torn plastic baits. Sometimes I reuse these used baits as trailers on jigs and spinner baits. When the container is full then it can be given to someone who molds their own plastic baits or thrown in the trash!

Reuse those plastics

By John S.

Save those used plastics to melt down and make tube lures. Easy once melted dip a straight ink pen or pencil in and out. let coll then dip again. Twice or even 3 times will do. Then take a razor and cut about half way down long length all the way around pen or pencil. Then simple slide tube of like a sock. Voila! – tube lure for bass.

Bag it!

By Phil

Use a plastic baggie – maybe from your lunch – to put those plastic baits and bits of string in. Then simply throw it in the trash when you get to shore or home. Keep them out of the water or shorelines where birds can ingest them.

Discovered this by Accident

By Mark T.

After learning more about why one shouldn’t pitch plastics overboard, I have worked hard to get every plastic and put it in a pocket or in the tool box in my boat. A couple of years back, when I was doing my spring cleaning in the boat, a couple of my younger kids discovered the stash of plastics! And they took them out and started playing with them, looking at them, and asking questions about them! So now, whenever I have ragged soft baits, I swap them a little early and keep a bunch for the kids to check out!

Cool way to dispose of used plastic baits

By Robert Y.

All plastic baits come in their bag right?
It is a great trash bag also!!
These bags that baits come in can hold twice as many used baits. I put all my used baits in the bag they came in and at the end of my trip I take that bag and throw it in a trash can at the boat ramp.
Simple and keeps or waters clean!!
Give it a try and keep fishing America!!!

Owner Schultz Custom Plugs

By Hugh S.

I make Wood fishing lures, but occasionally plastic works better, so when I use soft plastic, hogies, worms, mister twister tails or soft plastic jigs they often get loose on the hook. After gluing them once they become unusable, instead of discarding them in the trash, I cut the usable tail end off and add it to my wood plug tail hook. They add extra action and gives the term recycling a new twist. Release what you don’t need for the new generation of anglers.

Make your own

By Edmund T.

I take my torn or worn out plastic baits and I repair the ones I can with a soldering iron. The ones that are beyond repair I melt down on a hot plate and use the melted plastic to morph different baits into my own creations.

Recycle those worms

By Icy Santa Anna

Worms and other “plastic” baits get torn, even after just 1 fish. When you find that your lure is missing that tail or half it’s body, don’t discard the remainder. Place it in a coffee can or bucket when get you home. If you find them on the field, pick them up and into the can they go. Do this every time you fish for 1 year. At the end of the year you can sell them as scrap on ebay or such to those who make lures at home, earning you that new reel or rod you’ve been eyeballing. It’s cheaper to melt ’em down than to create one from scratch…think about it, Recycle and get paid for it!

Pick it up

By Pierre S.

When you’re on the water or on the shore, if you find junk that doesn’t belong there pick it up. When I go fishing, I always take a garbage bag with me so guess what I do when I find junk. I do it because no one else does, think about it.

Recycle Your Plastics

By Sean C.

There are a lot of companies and individuals who recycle plastic baits by melting them down and creating new baits. Many of them donate their baits to High School or College teams. Find one, collect your plastics throughout the year, and send them in during the off season. Need a company? Look up P.J. Pahygiannis on Facebook.

Recycle

By Maggie

We use so many soft plastics in green pumpkin and black & blue that we decided to start making our own from the spent lures we used to trash. It was a little bit of an upfront start up cost for the kit, etc… but is totally worth the money spent to create your own lures. Not hard at all to do either, and you can have fun and design your own lures too. Never know when you may come up with the next “hot” lure!!!

Fisherman

By Randy C.

The guys in my bass club keep all their old baits & give them to me. I melt them down & make new ones.

Pick up-clean up

By Les P.

When I’m out fishing, I always carry some plastic bags with me. (The ones from the grocery store work well.) Since there is always trash and litter by the fishing site, I make it a habit to pick up some and properly dispose of it on my way out. I can’t say its perfectly clean, but I leave things better than I found it.

Recycle Plastic Baits

By Gordon I.

There are a number of ways to recycle plastic baits that can be found on Fishing forums on the internet. One such forum is the Texas Fishing Forum. Just pose a question or search the site for ideas.

Gummy worms

By Gary

It’s a little bit more expensive than regular rubber worms, but while you fish, you can nibble on the same kind of worm your fishing with, and it doesn’t pollute the lakes and canals.Get yourself a bag of those sweet “gummy worms” the kids eat, and see what happens.

Recycled soft plastic baits

By Chad R.

Many years ago, one of the soft plastic manufacturers ran a program to take used baits. They would melt them down, remold them, and donate to some sort of kids fishing programs. Unfortunately, I do not recall which manufacturer.

Keeping the waterways clean

By Theresa

When we head for the water to fish or play, we always take along a trash bag or two. There will inevitably be a floating can, plastic bag or bottle sometime during the outing that needs retrieved. We have always tried to leave each destination looking better than when we arrived, and since you have a trash bag along, there is no excuse not to pick it up and dispose of it properly. Just think how much the waters would benefit if everyone did the same – not only for the esthetics, but safety of sea life as well. Wouldn’t take long and the problem would be solved. And most of all, setting a good example will teach your kids to do the same perpetuating the clean environment mentality.

Recycle

By Rick

I leave the torn plastics in my boat. When I get home I pull them all out and put them into the recycle container.

Pitch it all

By Michael A.

Every year for the last 5 or so years (since I started fishing soft plastics), I clean out my boat and my lake front property. I noticed I wasn’t just affecting my stuff but the lake itself. I have caught fish with soft plastics shoveled down their throats from someone tossing a ripped senko in the water. Since then, I always make it a point to clean up whatever I see. I want to make my fishing experience great every time I go out as well make it great for others. It takes only a couple extra seconds to toss your old soft plastics in the trash!

Save those plastic baits and your gear

By Roy L.

Years ago I began adding anise oil to my dry plastic worms This was great, worms slid along without dragging on the lily pads and weeds, it also seemed to leave a trail in the water that brought a lot of extra repeat strikes. The problem was that the anise oil was great at dissolving a lot of my other baits and gear, and reel handles and foam rod grips as well! The solution appeared in the form of sandwich bags with water tight closure, I prefer the ones with a slider handle because they are easier to operate when your hands are wet or oily. These bags are how I keep my vest clean and organized while fishing early in the dark morning hours. My new worms go in the left side bags and I keep the next larger size in the right side pocket with the zipper mostly open. Miss a strike, get caught up in the bottom or whatever, pull the remains off with your left hand and drop it in the part open bag on the right side. This leaves you holding the hook in your right hand and ready to slip it through the new one you are now able to hold in your left hand. Your right hand stays clean so you can maintain better control of the hook and make a more presentable bait.
This helps the fish and aquatic wildlife stay healthy and also makes cleaning up the boat, if you are lucky enough to have one, that much easier so you can focus on having fun!

Simple

By Erik

It’s simple and it works. Have a trash can or other container on your boat. It makes the decision of were to throw your trash an easy one.

Balloons

By Gwace

Picked up 5 mylar balloons in Biscayne Bay. 4-2-15.@ 12:30pm.

Make it great for everyone

By Zach P.

Every year for the last 5 or so years (since I started fishing soft plastics), I clean out my boat and my lake front property. I noticed I wasn’t just affecting my stuff but the lake itself. I have caught fish with soft plastics shoveled down their throats from someone tossing a ripped senko in the water. Since then, I always make it a point to clean up whatever I see. I want to make my fishing experience great every time I go out as well make it great for others. It takes only a couple extra seconds to toss your old soft plastics in the trash!

Great Idea

By Melanie S.

99% of people who fish care about the environment so we have clean water to fish in and healthy fish to catch! I think this is a great idea and I’m going to tell everyone at my club about it.

Thank you

By John S.

When I was learning to fish, I was told that rubber worms dissolved in the water overnight. Thank you for setting me straight! I love fishing and never want to be accused of littering.

Stop the ban!

By James C.

I don’t know what I’d do if soft plastic baits were banned. I love fishing for bass and they are my favorite bait. I love how many different ways I can rig and fish them to match conditions. Count me in to help fight any ban that comes down the road.